In the field of orthopedic and prosthetic devices, a knitted-fabric part in the form of a leg sock or sleeve may be used as a volume compensation sock or sleeve in connection with a prosthetic leg. When used as a sock, the knitted-fabric part is drawn directly on the residual limb. As for a volume compensation sock, the knitted-fabric part is drawn over a suspension liner disposed on a residual limb, to allow volume variations and a dimension difference between the residual limb and a prosthesis. When used as a sleeve, the knitted-fabric part is drawn over a limb to protect the arm or to cover irritated parts of the skin.
Prosthetic suspension liners or sleeves have been described in prior patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,474, issued May 8, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,039, issued Oct. 24, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,776, issued Nov. 26, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,602, issued Oct. 10, 2006; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,189, issued on Jan. 30, 2007, each of which are incorporated herein by reference. These liners or sleeves may be fabricated of elastic or elasticized materials, and are used to cushion a post-operative stump or residual limb regarding a prosthesis, such as a socket, that is installed over the residual limb and coupled to the liner or sleeve by a conventional locking element.
User anatomies have different dimensions and a clinic must account for these dimensions by stocking knitted-fabric parts in different sizes. This requires a large inventory of parts that can be readily available for a user. To address this issue, it is known to shorten and adapt the knitted-fabric part by cutting off a length portion. Reducing the length of a knitted-fabric part by cutting has the drawback in that the cut edge of the knitted-fabric part must be subsequently sewn since it is frayed along the cut edge, so the newly sized knitted-fabric part does not unravel during use.